Pac-12 Networks: Updates on DirecTV and Cox/Comcast, Neuheisel’s debut and the objectivity issue

Having pieced together information from various sources, it appears the Pac-12 and DirecTV are close to a carriage deal.

Does that mean an agreement in the next few hours … or days … or next week? I’m not sure of the exact timing. And as with any negotiation, last-minute snags are always possible.

But it sure seems like only that — a last-minute snag — will prevent the two sides from reaching a deal prior to the start of the football season.

If/when they do partner up, it won’t take long for the Pac12Nets to begin airing on DirecTV — the groundwork is already being laid for signal transmission, according to sources.

A deal with DirecTV could be the only hope for thousands of Pac-12 fans in at least two major metro areas across the country.

Based on what I’ve heard from readers and info provided by the Pac-12’s channel finder, it appears neither Cox nor Comcast will make the National feed available in Chicago and Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia.

And if the Pac12Nets are not offered on your local cable system, you cannot access them online — even if you have a subscription to Comcast or Cox.

Other Pac-12 Networks thoughts:

***Because I’m sure some fans will ask, or wonder: I’ve heard nothing about a deal with Dish.

Subscribers to that satellite operator should begin making other provider plans if the Pac12Nets are important to you. Dish has a different business model than DirecTV — sports aren’t nearly as important and, as result, a carriage agreement isn’t nearly as likely.

*** From what I’ve seen — admittedly: that’s not much — Rick Neuheisel could be a terrific studio analyst.

He’s sharp, candid and self-effacing, as when he admitted to doing a poor job managing expectations when he got to UCLA.

The big question is what happens when the games begin … and coaches start screwing up … and players start making mistakes …

Then how candid will Neuheisel be?

*** To that end, I asked Lydia Murphy-Stephans, the GM of Pac-12 Networks, about the league’s philosophy:

Will the play-by-play announcers and game/studio analysts simply be promotional tools for the conference, or will they be objective, even critical, if the occasion calls for it?

“It’s important for us to promote the conference, but we have to have some credibility,” she said, adding that the analysts have been “empowered to criticize the coach.”

On the other hand, she said, “the athletes are student-athletes. That’s been our guidance. But if the star player has an off day, say they aren’t on their game.”

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“If you choose to get frustrated, angry or any other emotion you want to throw out there before it’s really time to get that way then you’re more than welcome to.”

What is that supposed to mean? Who’s to say that September 22 is the date that anyone but Cal or $C fans care about? The rest of us have games before that and would like to watch EVERY game, even those games against directional U because it is the first chance to see our teams play this season and see what the coaches have been cooking up for the last few months. Its getting quite irritating that those who already have the channel are telling the rest of us how great the Network is out of one side of their mouth and then telling us to “relax, everything’s cool cuz the Pac-12 is gonna make sh** tons of money, nothing matters til September 22, etc, etc, etc” out of the other side of their mouth. For many of us, we are seeing far less of our teams in our local markets until these deals get done. That’s a fact, and its unacceptable to those of us who pay $100s of dollars to our local Pay-TV provider every month. And the fact is, it may not necessarily be the fault of our TV provider.

ccrider55

Pete:

I did what Chris has not. I got Comcast, which he has available. To his credit he recognizes that he, and those in his position, have the most leverage to influence DTV into picking it up.

The Cal/SC game may not be most important to some fans, but it is to the largest number which translates into many unhappy customers, large potential number them switching providers which means the most probable point DTV grudgingly comes to agreement.

Is the PAC withholding the network from your provider, or is your provider not yet choosing to pick it up? I sympathize with those not yet included. Comcast has not yet enabled the online content that others apparently have. I’m not happy, but understand Comcast has customer service “issues” (one reason why many switched to satellite) and will just have to wait on them. Blaming the PAC is nonsense.

@ccrider55: I think what has happened to you is one of the primary reasons why I have held out hope that Directv will come through – the internet applications are not ready yet. Getting Comcast also presents another issue. For those with Sunday Ticket they need Directv, so we’re caught in a circular mess. I am still hopeful that we’ll have it in time.

@alchemist: so what about OT; he’s entitled to his opinions. You certainly have yours.

Over at dbstalk.com they’re talking about the Directv deal is a $14.99 charge for the Pac 12 Network. Not sure if that is out of market or whatever. I have no idea how truthful that may or may not be. I cannot imagine that at $14.99 a month many will get the package and I think if that happens many of us will be upset still.

I am not sure where all this will end up, but I can say that I will be flexible to some extent. $14.99 is way out there whereas a few bucks is not. We’ll have to see.

alchemist

Pete:

As ccrider alluded to, Chris has been coming here to curse at the sky for some time now and the sympathy I once had for his plight (sympathy I still have for almost everyone else who’s still stuck in a similar situation) has evaporated. My flippant comment was a reflection of me no longer being interested in his whining because unlike some people on here Chris has viable options but just doesn’t want to use them.

The “nothing matters until September 22nd” statement is a reflection of the fact USC is the biggest ratings draw in the Pac 12 so their game with Cal is the biggest event the P12N has on the early season schedule and the event that could lead to the most subscriber flight if the P12N isn’t available on a system at that time. That fact is being used by resident troll OT to try to scare everyone because by September 22nd every other team in the conference will have had at least one game on the P12N so everyone outside of USC fans will have missed a game if deals don’t get done until that time. There’s a hint of truth in what he says but OT has no way of knowing that will happen and in the meantime is trying to scare people who aren’t aware of OT’s track record of never being right (Cosa Nostra!).

As to getting less content for whatever you’re paying for service, that’s a legitimate gripe you have with the cable/satellite/telcom company you currently get your TV service from. The network is available to them (as ccrider pointed out) so it’s their fault you don’t have it and are still charging you the same amount of money for inferior service. You should be asking them that question.

As a quick aside, the network is really cool and whenever you do get it you’re going to love it. Here’s to hoping it comes soon.

alchemist

Chris:

If that’s the only way the network is distributed through DirecTV then that’s an insanely bad deal for the Pac 12 and I can’t imagine them agreeing to those terms. If the national feed is on the same tier of service as the Big Ten Network then the regionals are sold as a package for an additional fee (but $14.99 seems really steep) then… I guess.. but even then the price sounds way too out there.

alchemist

ESPN Radio out of SLC is saying the Pac 12/DirecTV deal is likely to roll out of Monday and that jives with the timeline Wilner laid out. So that’s two people who are paid to find and report the news saying one thing and OT saying another. I wonder who’s more likely to be right.

Pete

Just out of curiosity, how many Pac12 fans on this board would threaten to cancel their service if the Big 10 Network was taken away and they couldn’t get the Ohio State vs Pedophile St (or whoever). Just trying to figure out if the $C game is really that big a deal or if their main leverage is Pac 12 fans scattered across the country…

OT

@Blake:

If DIRECTV were to carry PAC 12 National on Channel 626, then you will more than likely need the sports pack for $12.99 in order to get PAC 12 National from Houston, which is outside the PAC 12’s footprint states (Washington State, Oregon, California, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado.)

OT

@Alchemist:

Another media member (ESPN 700 Salt Lake) has decided to parrot a source inside the PAC 12 instead of checking SixtoReport at dbstalk.com

PAC 12 National has NOT been uplinked on DIRECTV HD as of Saturday.

Watch this radio guy get egg on his face next week.

Bozo

@alchemist, regarding post 105, I agree with you completely; if that were the only option w/Directv if I were Mr. Scott I would not sign the deal and then tell everyone flatly that Pac 12 will not be on Directv this year so folks, switch if you need to, and add some finality to it.

ccrider55

Pete:

Getting the BTN was a reason I went to DTV several years ago. Getting it in the sports package (SD & HD) to get more P12N made it easy to go to Comcast. Didn’t have to make an either/or choice, but before P12N it was a decision maker.

Everybody is different but in my case lots of family is of and from the B1G, and I’m a fan of a number of “non revenue” sports. B1G is to be admired for how many sports they sponsor. Supporting the BTN may in some small way show support for sports other than FB and MBB.

OT

@alchemist:

Post 105 makes no sense.

DIRECTV has a bandwidth issue with the PAC-12, not a price issue.

DIRECTV (Mike White) had said all along that DIRECTV will NOT carry all 6 PAC 12 regionals on a 24/7 basis.

If you believe Wilner’s source (inside the PAC-12), the PAC-12 may have already backed off by offering a counterproposal: PAC-12 National on the sports tier ONLY nationwide, and PAC-12 Los Angeles available 24/7 everywhere in the PAC-12 footprint in Choice (or Choice Xtra) and above. The other 5 PAC-12 regionals can be turned on part time.

The question has been: how often will the regionals be turned on? Only during live football and men’s college basketball, or also during live baseball, softball, and “Olympic” sports?

Keep checking SixtoReport at dbstalk.com every weekday morning (especially Wednesdays) at 6am PT/7am MT. That’s the definitive tell. Anything you read from sports media members (as opposed to business reporters) is considered to be noise unless it specifically refers to SixtoReport at dbstalk.com as source.

Chris

OT – post 112, Mike What said this ONCE to shareholders.

Pac 12 is not going to cut a deal that benefits some to the detriment of the others. The Presidents of the Pac 12 have veto authority and won’t allow a Pac 12 LA channel on and not the remander of the conference in those schools’ respective areas. It’s all the same deal or no deal at all.

626 had been a placeholder for FOX College Sports overflow, with the program “to be announced” listed for the past several months.

There is no actual live satellite TV signal behind Channel 626 besides a generic DirecTV logo with music bed. That is NOT a “test channel”

SixtoReport on dbstalk.com lists actual testing activity, with a live signal of a channel that is hidden from subscribers, if active testing were taking place.

No testing as of Sunday August 26.

Most sports media members are woefully out of their depth when they attempt to cover a business news story.

OT

@Chris:

If the school presidents don’t want DIRECTV to take the PAC 12 Networks, they are welcome to dig in and demand all 6 regionals to be carried 24/7.

DIRECTV will simply ignore them and use the bandwidth for something else.

Remember that DIRECTV held out against Versus (now NBC Sports Network) for 9 months before Comcast gave in a few years ago. The Cal @ Stanford big game on Versus that season was caught up in that particular dispute.

alchemist

Very subtle, OT. The rumor is Big Game is on the main Fox network this year.

Chris

OT post 116.

If you knew anything about the Pac12 you would know everything is put to a conference vote and all are treated the same. No way only LA regional makes it….if that is the case they will move on. Direct will lose subs….it’s all on or not at all.

alchemist

Chris:

Maybe. If DirecTV is amenable to carry some but not all regionals then the LA regional should be priority #1. Since it services the largest market in the conference (and has significant penetration in San Diego, which is nothing to sneeze at) it should be able to charge the highest ad rates and therefore bring in the most money for all of us to share. If DirecTV says they’ll carry the national and one regional it’s not exactly Sophie’s Choice here.

Chris

Alchemist…wont happen. Those of us who contribute greatly to the “OTHER” programs wont accept LA only from our ADs. All for one or none.

alchemist

Chris:

As an alum of a fellow “other” program I can understand bristling at the L.A. schools getting a sweetheart deal but I also like the idea of them paying us for it. I can imagine ADs with dollar signs in their eyes taking the money and agreeing to it. Assuming of course any of this talk ends up being true.

OT

@Chris:

DIRECTV doesn’t have to carry the PAC 12 Networks at the PAC 12’s terms.

DIRECTV is perfectly fine with its other sports networks.

Recall that beIN SPORT LLC (or is it “beAN SPORT”, if you listen to the Spanish-language SAP) jumped the line on or around August 1 when it PAID a big launch fee (believed to be between $3-5/subscriber) in order to get on DIRECTV Sports Pack and DIRECTV Mas (in Spanish).

DIRECTV hasn’t stopped counting all the “beANz” (or “flooz”, if you prefer Arabic) that have been flowing into El Segundo from Doha Bank.

As long as the likes of beIN SPORT LLC are willing to hand out “beANs” to DIRECTV, the likes of the PAC 12 Networks don’t have as much leverage as they did even a month ago, before beIN SPORT LLC made a panic move to turn the economics of pay sports TV in the U.S. completely upside down.

(beIN SPORT LLC is set up to lose at least $100 million/year through June 2022 before it is scheduled to go out of business. In contrast, PAC-12 Enterprises is a real business that is designed to make at least $120 million/year in operating income starting 2015.)

I just read the following Facebook post from John Mattingly, a CHARTER customer representative who responded to another request regarding the latest news on the Pac-12 Networks:

“We believe the monthly price per customer offered to Charter by PAC-12 Network should be consistent with the price provided to Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox. At present, the proposal from PAC-12 Network is more than what we believe other video providers the size of Charter are paying.

Charter has successfully negotiated agreements with many other sports programmers, including Big Ten Network, which did not affect customer cost. The PAC-12 Network is demanding terms and conditions that are much more unfavorable than those agreements.

We are hopeful that our negotiations with PAC-12 Network will result in more reasonable terms and a positive outcome for our customers”.

Once again, this is all about the money factor involved in upstarting a new network to a cable provider. I would like to see both sides come to an agreement that will allow customers to pay a fair increase in the monthly subscription. Hopefully, both sides can hammer out their differences soon and we can go on with living our lives.

September 21 is the drop-dead date. If no deal were done, then don’t expect any deal until next August.

alchemist

Kerr:

That statement (dated 8/24) isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. The moment anyone from the Pac 12 characterizes a deal as close or imminent they give up leverage; they’ve made a promise at that point and it invites DirecTV to come back immediately at a lower rate and have the Pac 12 on the hook if they balk at the last-second adjustment of the terms.

Given that that statement is three days old and pressure is probably beginning to mount with the opening of the season looming, and that negotiations are probably constant right now, it’s also so old and out-of-date that it’s not much at this point.

alchemist

OT:

Cosa nostra.

ccrider55

Ha. Putting words in someone’s mouth?

Please quote Stevenson saying the opposite. This appears to be refuting a position suggested to him by Withers, followed by the standard response they have been giving.

“I wouldn’t characterize it as close or imminent,” Stevenson said, otherwise holding to his previous take that the content is appealing on the Networks, and “when fans want to have (good) content in today’s television world, they get it.

Neither side will say something close to definitive until a deal is done, or negotiations have failed (and probably not then).

Kerr

Given that that statement is three days old and pressure is probably beginning to mount with the opening of the season looming, and that negotiations are probably constant right now, it’s also so old and out-of-date that it’s not much at this point.

alchemist, I understand the dynamics regarding negotiations. However, the only purpose served by Stevenson’s comments would be to manage viewer expectations. So when the sides finally reach a deal, it is a pleasant surprise for DIRECTV subscribers. Feigned interest doesn’t put more pressure on DIRECTV.

OT

@Kerr:

Precisely.

Gary Stevenson should have gotten tired of the leak from whomever inside the PAC 12 that has falsely raised expectations by going to Jon Wilner and Bill Riley (ESPN Radio 700 in Salt Lake).

At least Stevenson knows that he now has to go to PR “Plan B”: manage the expectations of fat cat alums who 1) have DIRECTV, and 2) have bookmarked SixtoReport at dbstalk.com

Again, I expect NO DEAL prior to September 21 at midnight, and I hope to be completely wrong about my expectation so that I can watch PAC 12 National on DIRECTV Channel 626 (or PAC 12 Los Angeles on Channel 691, or PAC 12 Bay Area on Channel 695-1 part-time.)

Socalrico

Does anyone know the penalty for getting out of DTV two year contracts? I’m about 6 mo into it. Probably a big mistake.

ccrider55

Kerr:

The statement also manages DTV’s expectations/assumptions surrounding the recent rumors. What the PAC may believe about potential agreement is what he addresses (or sidesteps).

alchemist

Kerr:

I disagree. Stevenson didn’t put that statement out on his own; he was directly asked a specific question by a reporter who called him and wanted to know the status of negotiations with DirecTV. What in your view should he have said?

OT

If you believe Sports Business Journal reporter John Ourand, then DIRECTV has drawn a line in the sand: only PAC 12 National will be 24/7 on Channel 626, with all 6 regionals to be turned on for certain overflow live events (i.e. football) only.

If the PAC-12 has an issue with that, then it can wait until next August.

DIRECTV is in no hurry to bend, as it is offering basically the same deal that the Big Ten Network has taken: one national channel 24/7 with part-time overflow channels for football only.

The only things I remember Riley saying were that he thought the deal would probably be done today, and then he repeated that he believes it will be done in time for the season. How much conflict is there between that and what Ourand reported?

Getting the same deal the Big Ten got for carriage of the national network on whatever tier of service it’s on with overflow channels where necessary was what most of us were expecting from day one. I would ask if you’ve been paying attention but I don’t care to have my rhetorical questions answered.

alchemist

For the Dish folks out there, the LA Times had something this morning that said the Big Ten’s carriage agreement with them expires on Friday and the two sides are still way apart. If they won’t come to terms with someone they already carry then that makes a deal with the Pac 12 look even less likely. If you haven’t already it’s probably time to start moving on other options.

It’s probably not time to do that quite yet, especially if you’re a fan of UCLA or U$C.

Socalrico

If they sign up with the national Chanel, I’m good. If they don’t sign period, I’m out. Once again, does anyone know what the cost of breaking the DTV contract is?

Kerr

…he was directly asked a specific question by a reporter who called him and wanted to know the status of negotiations with DirecTV. What in your view should he have said?

He could have just said something along the lines of: “Negotiations are ongoing and both sides continue working towards a deal.” False pessimism is hardly better than false optimism. DIRECTV customers just want to know that both sides are talking and will do so until a deal is ready to be announced.

NevadaUte

Socalrico: I believe it is $20 per month for each month you have left.

I expect Dish to take the same approach to the PAC 12 Net and Big Ten Net renegotiation as they have other sports: “Here’s our lowball offer. Take it or leave it, we don’t care as long as we can be the low cost leader for glorified basic cable.”

I can’t believe there are still sports fans out there with Dish Network.

Socalrico

Thanks Ute. I signed up with Direct TV because they claimed to be the sports leader. Maybe it will turn out OK, but I’m prepared to bail if they don’t come through. GO DUCKS!

OT

If you have DIRECTV, you will have some leverage if no deal for PAC-12 Network were struck as of Thursday.

Call up customer service and tell the CSR that you are thinking of going back to cable unless he/she can offer something to convince you to stay.

List of the “somethings” the CSR may offer you:

– $10 off the Sports Pack each month for 6 months

– Free NFL Sunday Ticket for 2012

– $10 off a premium channel (HBO, ShowTime, etc.) for 6 months

During the Viacom dispute in July, I got the $10 off sports pack for 6 months discount.

I think I will take the Free NFL Sunday Ticket if I don’t see SixtoReport mention that PAC-12 National were testing as of Wednesday morning.

Be ready to play some “poker” vs a DIRECTV CSR starting Wednesday.

OT

@NevadaUte:

Charlie Ergen is one of a kind, isn’t he?

If BTN were to launch “Big Ten Deportes” tomorrow, DISH will add it in a nanosecond. However, Charlie will play hardball with BTN.

Ditto PAC-12 Networks. Charlie wants “PAC-12 Deportes” instead.

During the early part of the century, Charlie refused to carry FOX Sports World but DISH offered FOX Sports World Espanol (now FOX Deportes).

That’s classic Charlie.

NevadaUte

It is interesting to see how many people question DirecTV’s claim to be the sports leader because they don’t have the Pac-12 Network yet (I say yet, because I am confident it will happen eventually). Is there another cable system out there that offers as much sports programming as DirecTV does (I know Dish is nowhere near). I mean, outside of the Pac-12 Networks… is there a single sports package or channel that you can’t get on DirecTV that you want to get? I get it, I am as frustrated as anyone, especially since I am an out of footprint fan so even if I did want to bend over and take it with no vaseline from Cox Cable, the best I can hope for here in Las Vegas is the national which means I still couldn’t get all my Utes games without the Mountain Regional. That said, there is no way I am going to switch unless it is made clear that the deal isn’t going to happen.

Having sat through a very similar carriage dispute with Dish Network and The Mtn. a few years back, this feels WORLDS ahead of where we were with that mess, when you would call up Dish and ask for The Mtn. and they would either say they already had it (thinking of FSN Rocky Mtn.) or they would have no freaking clue what you were talking about. It got to the point where you realized that no one was negotiating this channel anymore, the satellites were fine not carrying it, and the network was fine being on cable in about half the markets. It was very very frustrating. So the fact we feel like we are so close and everyone knows what the channel is and appears to be at the table, it is not time to cut off your nose to spite your face yet.

OT

Wilner has learned his lesson: no blog entry on DIRECTV until Wednesday morning, AFTER SixtoReport comes out at around 6am Pacific/7am Mountain.

alchemist

OT:

The Cosa Nostra lesson in humility clearly hasn’t stuck. Wilner will blog when there is news to report.

OT

No new post from Sixto as of Wednesday at 7am Pacific Time.

Translation: NO DEAL between PAC-12 and DIRECTV as of Wednesday at 7am Pacific Time.

As I have said all-along: don’t expect any deal until September 21 at midnight if a deal were to be struck at all. If a deal were to happen sooner, then super.

DIRECTV wants: PAC-12 National on Channel 626 24/7 (Sports Pack outside the footprint, Choice Xtra inside the footprint), with overflow football games on alternate channels (680-1, 685-1, 689-1, 690-1, 691-1, 695-1). All other live events will be available online only. Basically same deal that BTN got.

PAC-12 wants: as many regional channels 24/7 as possible (with Los Angeles being highest priority), plus part-time channels for all overflow live events, not just football

If the PAC-12 does not want to give, the PAC-12 is welcome to sit out a year while DIRECTV in El Segundo continues to count the FLOOZ that is pouring in from Doha Bank each time someone adds the sports tier or a Spanish-language tier because beIN SPORT LLC (or “beAN SPORT” if you listen to the Spanish audio track) is paying $3-5 per subscriber.

OT

If you have DIRECTV, don’t switch yet.

Play “CSR Roulette” starting Thursday.

Ask for CSR to see what he/she can do to keep you as a customer.

Some of the goodies that are available:

1. $10/month off for 6 months on the DIRECTV SPORTS PACK (great if you like international soccer because FOX Soccer and beIN SPORT USA are in that package, along with all the out of market FOX Sports Net and Comcast Sportsnet regionals)

2. Free NFL Sunday Ticket for 2012

kacey

we are being screwed by the monopolies. Pac12 and Comcast in collusion and preventing consumers open access….

I signed a contract with Directv and am very satisfied with the service. Pac12 networks including stanford sent me an unsolicited email advising me to switch to comcast if i want to see local stanford football.

forget it….. this is BS

break up the monopolies and open this up. how much $$$$$$BBBB$$$$ is being taken from student parents for college bubble and tv network monopolies…..

long time football fan … forget it Pac12 I’m done!!! you can just plan to comcast